Taylor Park

Taylor Park. . , Jens Jenson , Originally named "North Park" when purchased by the Park District of Oak Park in 1912, this 11.75 acre park site was later renamed after Park District Commissioner Henry A. Taylor. The park sits atop one of several continental divides in North America, with the western half of the park draining towards the Mississippi River and eventually into the Gulf of Mexico. The Eastern half of Taylor Park drains towards Lake Michigan with runoff ultimately reaching the Atlantic Ocean., Taylor Park was designed in 1914 by Jens Jensen, an influential Landscape Architect known for his use of native plants and naturalistic elements. Born in Denmark in 1860, he was raised on his family's farm where he cultivated a love for the natural environment and studied agriculture. He emigrated to the United States in 1884, settling in Chicago the following year., Jensen began as a laborer, soon working his way up the ranks of Chicago's West Park System. It was here that Jensen first experimented with the idea of using native wildflowers for what he called the "American Garden." Its planting palette was quite exceptional in comparison to other gardens of the era which generally contained exotic species. Jensen rose to the position of General Superintendent and Chief Landscape Designer for the entire West Park Commission, one of three commissions which eventually consolidated to become the Chicago Park District. Jens Jensen's design expertise can be seen in Garfield, Humboldt. Douglas, and Columbus Parks and several other smaller parks., He was motivated by a strong belief that access to park areas and native landscapes was crucial to the health and welfare of everyone, even those who chose to live in a large city., Jensen developed his signature "Prairie style" that relied on the use of native plants and naturalistic elements found in native Midwestern prairies. He disliked formal gardens and instead paid tribute to nature in his parks, showcasing indigenous plant in a natural setting., Jensen is often considered the Father of the Midwestern Conservation Movement. He helped in the formation of the Cook County Forest Preserve District. He also played an instrumental role in the creation of the Illinois state park systems, the Indiana Dunes State Park and the National Lakeshore., He left the Chicago Park system in 1921 to focus on his own successful landscape architecture practice, in which he created naturalistic designs in both public and private settings. In 1935 he established his own school to train future landscape architects in Ellison Bay, Wisconsin where he lived until his death in 1951., Oak Park parks originally designed by Jensen include Rehm, Ridgeland Common, Scoville, Taylor, and Stevenson. Taylor Park still retains some of Jensen's original plantings, including many of the trees in the Southeast corner of the park.,

"Every Plant has fitness and must be placed in its proper surroundings so as to bring out its full beauty. Therein lies the art of landscaping." - Jens Jensen